ENGL 2550: A Critical Analysis of 'The Egg and The Sperm' Article

This essay provides a summary and analysis of Emily Martin's 'The Egg and the Sperm,' focusing on how cultural misogyny permeates even scientific descriptions of reproduction. The author highlights the gendered language used to describe the egg and sperm, noting the negative connotations associated with female reproductive processes compared to the positive language used for male processes. The analysis delves into how the article critiques the portrayal of the egg as passive and the sperm as heroic, arguing that these descriptions reinforce patriarchal norms. The essay also explores Martin's call for scientists to challenge these biases in their language and acknowledge the active role of the egg in reproduction, ultimately aiming to dismantle gender stereotypes prevalent in society through scientific discourse. The essay uses the article to represent the stereotypes and the cultural perspectives that influence the study of the reproduction systems in the subject of biology which was in support of the men in society.

Running head: THE EGG AND THE SPERM
THE EGG AND THE SPERM
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author note

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THE EGG AND THE SPERM
Summary
The Egg and the Sperm by Emily Martin summarizes various findings and ways out of
which misogynies permeate along the aspect in cultures and in fact even in biology. The author
arguments about the languages people use often to teach their children about the process of
reproduction (Martin, 2019). The process is winnowed with latent meaning assigned with gender
biasedness and roles for every organ. She cited an example of menstrual cycle and uses
languages related to different aspects of it. It discusses how medical science describes the
menstrual cycle as failure of woman in pregnancy. All that sounds negative like, expel, death,
pain and to lose are all related to menstruation. On the contrary to describe male reproductive
organs, powerful positive words are used. Moreover, the author states about the prejudices on
contraception where she allegedly says that the eggs are “damsel in distress” (Martin, 2019).
This means that, the egg is considered something as a stationary whereas the sperms are regarded
being the courageous gallantry knights who are coming to rescue it. Martin suggests to the
scientists that they should start praising all the women who actually plays the roll in reproducing
eggs which are mature one at its unique time whenever it is needed. Contrary to this, men
produces sperms which are huge in numbers and often wasted than needed resulting in possible
degenerated spermicide cells (Martin, 2019). Martin puts an argument that these simple
terminologies can have chances to gradually challenge the patriarchal mentality and typical
gender biasedness created by society.
Analysis
In the chosen article, “The egg and the Sperm” by Emily Martin it is a scientific
construction of a romance based on the stereotype male and female roles was published in 1991
(Martin, 2019). It was investigated in this article that culture and the society influenced all the

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THE EGG AND THE SPERM
scientists to shape researche and discovery. The article mainly marks the stereotypes and the
culture perspectives that influence the study of the reproduction systems in the subject of biology
which was in support of the men in society. The main patriarchal culture, dominancy by the men
over women in society has been clearly represented in the Egg and the Sperm. As in biological
process the sperm dominates the egg to reproduce zygote. This article in order to justify Martin’s
claims and arguments used modern scientists’ existing researches and publication. The article
have three divisions, the egg and the Sperm: A Scientific Fairy tale, new research, old imaginary
and social implications: thinking beyond. The style of her writing has powerful satire which
grabs the readers’ interest towards the article. There is a clear feminism tone in her way of
putting the ideas (Martin, 2019). The writing style includes simili and metaphor in several lines
of the article and that gives it an ambiguous touch. The theme and background of this article has
been taken by contemporary miserable conditions of female in the society. The title chosen has a
deeper meaning but at a glance it shows critical and derogatory phrase which reveals the
meaning as the article moves forward.
References
Martin, E. (2019). Retrieved from https://web.stanford.edu/~eckert/PDF/Martin1991.pdf